ST.Popa benedict XVI has declared
2008 the â€śYears of St. Paulâ€™ in honour of the 2000th anniversary of the
apostleâ€™s birth.

Turkish authorities have started their preparations in Antakya (Antioch)-Tarsus,
birthplace of Saint Paul.

East of Mersin, on the edge of the fertile Cukurova Plain is Tarsus. It was a
meeting place of legendary lovers Antony and Cleopatra.

The biblical city of Antakya, once the third largest city in the Roman Empire,
was the headquarters of St. Paulâ€™s missionaries and the base for several
missionary journeys. The New Testamentâ€™s Acts of the Apostles declares that the
followers of Jesus were first called â€śChristiansâ€ť in this place . Saint Peter,
Paul and Barnabas all preached here.

The year of Saint Paul starts on June 28th and millions of Christian pilgrims
are expected to meet in Tarsus, Turkey; his birth town.